Don’t Make Me Think (the slides) Dan Fleck SWE 632 cs.gmu /~ dfleck
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Transcript of Don’t Make Me Think (the slides) Dan Fleck SWE 632 cs.gmu /~ dfleck
Don’t Make Me Think(the slides)Dan FleckSWE 632http://cs.gmu.edu/~dfleck/These are based on the excellent book
“Don’t Make Me Think” from Steve Krug…. Go out and buy it!
Usability
• “Making sure that something works well: that the average person can use the thing without getting hopelessly frustrated” – Steve Krug
Rule 1: Don’t Make Me Think
< OBVIOUSREQUIRES THOUGHT >
Got it!Huh?
Uncertain..
Rule 1: Don’t Make Me Think
< OBVIOUSREQUIRES THOUGHT >
Results Results Results
Click it! I guess I can click that.Quick thought.
Can I click that?
How People Use the Web
• Pages are scanned – not read!• We don’t make optimal choices – we pick
the first reasonable option. What’s the cost of an error?
• We muddle through – if something works, we don’t look for an alternative.• Many people (my mom included) type URLs for
sites they want to visit into Google Search box – everytimeDesign for people flying by a billboard, not reading a
novel
Conventions work – use them!
Can you identify parts of this page?
Omit needless words!
• Reduces noise on the page• Makes content more prominent• Makes pages shorter, making scanning
easier
What can I omit?
Navigation: The Trunk Test
• Site organization is what brings people back. If you can’t find things, you use the site less.
Site ID
Breadcrumbs (where
Am I?)
Common anchors
Common tools
Navigation: The Trunk Test
• You’ve been kidnapped by the mafia, thrown in a trunk and dumped onto a random webpage on a website (you know, by Google or someone like that)
• What site is this? (Site ID)• What page am I on (Page name)• What are the major sections of this site? (Sections)• What are my options at this level? (Local navigation)• Where am I in the scheme of things? (“You are here indicators”)• How can I search?
• Lets try it!• Pick a site… click into it a few pages from the homepage• Answer the questions above
Arguments• Everybody likes __________________• Designer – visually interesting sites• Developer – lots of cool features
• CEO – I want Pizazz!• Business development – cross-brand
marketing!There is no general
right answer!
There is no spoon!
The General Right Answer
• The general right answer (wait, what the heck?!?)• Wrong: Do most people like pull down menus?• Right: Do people like this pull down menu, on this site, in this context?
• How do you know?• Usability Testing!• That’s the next book!
“Rocket Surgery Made Easy”
Common Courtesy• The Reservoir of Goodwill• Everyone has one, and it’s full when we enter a site.• Every bad, confusing thing depletes it• Good, reassuring things can refill it
• Idiosyncratic: Some people’s are bigger than others• Situational: If I’m in a hurry, or busy, or upset…
smaller• Sometimes a single mistake can empty it:
Forcing me to register before I decided to buy anything. I’m done!
• Hiding information I want• Punishing me for not doing things your way• Asking me for info you don’t really need• Shucking and jiving me. • “Your call is important to us”
• Putting sizzle in my way• Your site looks amateurish
Things that lower reservoirs
• Know the main things people want on your site, and make them obvious and easy
• Tell me what I want to know
• Save me steps wherever you can
• Put effort into it
• Know what questions I’m likely to have, and answer them
• Provide me with creature comforts. Printer friendly pages
• Make it easy to recover from errors
• When in doubt, apologize.
Things that fill up reservoirs
In Summary
• Work hard to not make me think, and I’ll be happy!
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